Odd use of “deliberately” in the sign-off question in Eamon’s otherwise very good analysis.

The obvious answer to the question posed is that the Special Reconnaissance Regiment were requested by Orde because he needed their specialist counter-terrorism knowledge since his own police service has been reduced in its own capability.

And he didn’t tell the Policing Board because he either didn’t trust them not to leak that information and/or he knew that if that information was made public it would undermine Sinn Féin’s efforts to portray those other republican paramilitary groups as criminal.